Posted by simguy on 11/15/2008

Before: Quality girls coming off hard losses - both looking for redemption. Nobody's questioning Ali - she gave as good as she got against Durance; plenty of scrutiny on Charisma though, as pundits harp on her creaky showing vs Keibler. "All I can say is, I don't FEEL shot," Charisma shrugs in prefight, smiling at her critics. "I had a bad night in the office against Stacy and she took advantage - it happens. Against Larter, I feel I have a great style; she's never been in with a fighter as experienced as me - I think it'll be a great bounce-back for me." Larter anxious to get Carpenter beaten - BEFORE critics can devalue the accomplishment. "Charisma looked bad against Stacy, but I'm not preparing for a shot Carpenter," Ali says at the podium. "Charisma's the slickest boxer in the division, with sneaky power - anybody who takes her lightly, or HOPES that she's getting old is in for a shock." Ali in black bikini, black gloves. Carpenter in purple bikini, black gloves.

During R1: Carpenter electing to meet Ali midring, feinting her, lighting her up a big overhand right early as CC rolls down and in on follow through. Larter face-spanked, blinking, on her heels: Carpenter quickly upon her with swipe-hooks and chop-right hands - tidying up from close quarters. Ali grimacing, hands at temples, taking punches in her ribs, tummy, chin: Carpenter showing quick hands inside, cute shoulder bumps, masterful sidesteps as she touches Ali up. Larter stumbling forward behind her mitts, getting turned: she's rocked, unable to set herself as CC steers her 'round the ring. Good, strong beat down after that early ringing right hand: Carpenter goes bell to bell, punishing Ali's muscular body and arms, systematically working blonde over in a thumping first.

R2: Larter's conditioning allows quick recovery: she's out strong to midring, jabbing Carpenter/hooking off the jab. Charisma tilting on her hips, rolling shots as she backs away: she's soon fighting off ropes, defending the pocket. Larter squares away, setting her feet, lowering her head. Leaning in close, brawny blonde sets a thumping pace, digging into curvy brunette tummy and jug with pumping left/rights; using extended left elbow to push CC off for reset. Carpenter grimacing - rolling her torso to move her head, dipping and slipping anything ticketed for her chin. Charisma avoiding the worst damage, but absorbing a numbing body assault as Larter applies bruising pressure bell to bell.

R3: Midring - Carpenter in closed stance: left shoulder pointed at Ali; right hand under chin, left across gut. Larter hands up, elbows in. Carpenter cute, flat footed - she's shifting weight to either foot, leaning in and out on Ali, smiting her sneaky, cuffing shots from either hand. Larter chopping her hands down onto Carpenter, then looking to work left hooks and uppercuts in close - delivering with the elbows in close to body for compact delivery. Spicy exchanges - both girls rocked at points. Carpenter leans in early, drags a right hand onto Ali's chin, bending down on follow through to evade Larter's receipts. Carpenter leans back out - weight on back(right) foot to drag the hook across Larter's chin, buckling blonde knees. Midway through, Larter digging at Carpenter's midsection and breasts with repeat left uppercuts: chugging work has Charisma stunned, frowning as she tries to slide away from hurt. Down the stretch, Carpenter giving ground in measured slide-steps, walking Ali in: Larter clipped on approach as crafty brunette swats double hooks off right (back) foot, ducks down low, then straightens to carry right hands into Ali's gut off the front (left) foot.

R4: Carpenter battered out of her closed stance midring - she retreats to ropes, sets up in pocket. Larter in with narrowed eyes, snarling lips: hard-working blonde squares away, leans in close, gets to work. No-frills chugging beat-down issued: Larter's elbows in, hands up as she chops viciously at Carpenter's fleshy torso. Ali getting her back and glutes into short shots - ignoring Carpenter's head to concentrate on that curvy tummy, those mouthwatering jugs and rounded biceps. Carpenter grimacing, rolling her torso, trying to ease either shoulder into Larter to bump her off: torrent of blonde leather bashing back in reprisal, hammering hips, ribs, breadbasket, rack. Down the stretch, Ali hammers Carpenter's biceps in close, really pounding flat-knuckle at the beef. CC wincing, reaches to clinch, hanging on to run the clock.

R5: Midring - Carpenter flopping out her jab from closed stance - tilting in with sneaky right hands, then clinching: Ali getting snuggled up as CC employs crafty hold-and-hit early. Carpenter walking Ali around in the clinch, pushing her off, coaxing her back in, cuffing her, then tying up again. Frustrating times for Larter. Midway through - Carpenter leans in and down, weight on left (front) foot, carrying a supple right hand through to Ali's jaw. Larter rocked, startled: CC - while still crouching in close - curls the right hand up and over, smiting Ali an extra face clout from weird angle. Ali stumbling back on heels, blinking: Carpenter hops up into her, carrying a short hook into chin - all shoulder, back and glutes behind the shot - DOWN GOES LARTER! Ali scooting to a stop on her rear - Carpenter carrying her weight into Larter, hitting hard and pushing in the same motion: clever knockdown brings crowd to its feet as Ali scrambles quickly up. Down the stretch, Ali with back to ropes for the first time: Carpenter crowds in close, fighting off blonde chest all brawny and big. CC reaching under Ali's arms, chesting her to ropes; CC shoeshining the abs, then coming up top to chin-check Ali tidy hooks or cute little right uppercuts in close. Carpenter scoring, then tying up, leaning into Ali to make her take weight to bell. Big smile CC as she struts all juggy to her corner: Larter grimacing, frowning in contemplation.

R6: Easy, breezy Charisma Carpenter round: she's got Ali spooked. Larter tentative, dukes at her temples - waiting on CC. Carpenter jabbing Ali to body, sneaking the right cross in up top, then tying up: Larter accepting the clinches, pushing against Carpenter's weight as girls wander about until ref's break. Fight ambles around the ring - Charisma either coming forward with sneaky hold-n'-hit, or backing away, luring Ali into check-hooks and cute right uppercuts off the back (right) foot. Along the ropes - Charisma constantly wriggling her arms in under Ali's to cinch up blonde ribs and turn Larter into ropes. Veteran brunette scoring plenty of tricky shoulder-bumps, and scuffing little tousle-scrubs as she seeks to rough Ali up old-school in the clinches. Larter grimacing - she's taking Carpenter's weight this round, getting touched up, getting outfoxed - pretty discouraging for strong blonde hard-body through 6.

R7: Ali crouching down, edging her left shoulder into Carpenter's chest as CC tries to creep in: Larter doing a better job denying the clinch by punching on the inside. Short-shrugging stuff in close - both girls featuring left hooks/left uppercuts in cuffing swats, each bumping off the left shoulder and pivoting clockwise. Punch for punch, it's Larter: she's really wearing out the Carpenter tummy with hooks this round, beating a waxy look of complaint onto Carpenter's face. Larter carefully avoiding traps and clinches - keeping her elbows in, chin tucked - she's just staying busy in there, constantly bumping and punching at Charisma, working the torso. Jug definitely on the menu for Larter: she's humbling CC's rack with short, cuffing hooks, and throwing hard left shoulders into it, outworking Carpenter in a blue-collar seventh.

R8: Carpenter unnerved - she's supposed to dominate shoulder-to-shoulder, wasn't expecting Larter to be so effective inside. CC jabbing for distance, hoping to walk Ali into a booming right hand counter: Larter showing patience and savvy - using her own jab to get close, then grinding away as girls lean in mouth-on-shoulder. Carpenter grimacing, easing back into ropes: she sets up pocket, rolling her torso, looking for the sneaky counter. Ali wary, but busy - keeping her shots short, elbows in - also using the heels of her hands to push Carpenter off to reset. Good banging 8th for Larter, getting hard work done on an older fighter.

R9: Carpenter digs deep into her reserves - she's starting to mouthbreathe, looking a little weary - but she's determined not to fade. Luring Ali to ropes - Charisma gets off a preemptive one-two - scoring to Ali's face and rolling down/to the left on follow through. Ali's receipts skid off Carpenter's presented right shoulder - then CC twists up and to the right, dragging a limber left hook onto Ali's chin, then laying over on the right side to cover up again. Classic Carpenter rope-a-dope: dipping side-to-side movement; accurate, swiping blows to ribs and chin; offence combined with defence as CC punches while rolling Larter's own work. Ali badly banged up, put wobbly-butt attempting to penetrate the pocket: Charisma exhausted, but upbeat at bell.

R10: Carpenter quickly to ropes, slumping into them for support, conserving her energy. Charisma twisting torso-left, sneaking right hands onto Larter, then rolling the receipt, coming back with snug clinches for ref's breaks. Ali senses Carpenter's fatigue, but blonde bogging down, spending more energy trying to batter down the defence than CC is maintaining it. Selective counters from Carpenter - cuffing little hooks, swatting body shots - then she's glomming on, pulling Ali in, leaning back into ropes for breaks. Larter the aggressor, gets the round, but she's clearly frustrated at being unable to seriously loosen Carpenter with any one big shot. Comes back one point duke...Charisma Carpenter.

After: Larter ashen faced - upset loss has crowd buzzing; scuffed-up blonde pulls at her nose, puts hands on hips, stares at canvas as she replays key moments in her mind. Carpenter not one to rub it in: she hugs Ali, pats her rump, gives her a few words of encouragement - Charisma throbbing with hurt herself, but buoyed by the big win. "I'm kind of the overlooked girl at lightweight," Charisma says in postfight, eyes bright. "And my physical strength is underestimated. Ali's a real specimen - super well conditioned and strong - but it's not like she'd run me out of the gym if we worked out together. The fact is, I'm one of the strongest girls in the division, I've got the best hands and combinations in the division - why wouldn't I be a player? What I did to Ali Larter tonight I could easily do to Jessica Biel - and I'd like a crack at Erica Durance if she's still champion after tonight. If I'm going to retire soon - and I'm not saying I am - but if I were, I'd want to go down against the very best girls at lightweight. You can throw the Keibler result out boys: you saw the real Charisma Carpenter tonight!"